Yule Love This Log

This one's for the unashamed chocoholics. How can you resist a light and spongy, cream and chocolate filled, chocolate log? Who needs a better excuse to rush and buy a load of fitness gear in January? The time and effort that go into this are so worth it, no shop bought log will taste as good. You could go to town on the decorating it too if you're slightly artistic, or if like me you're just more realistic, stick some holly on it-for photographic purposes of course-and then whip it back off again and dig in.

To make the sponge:

4 eggs

100g sugar

65g self-raising flour sifted

40g cocoa powder

Place the eggs and sugar into a large bowl and mix until pale and frothy -use a mixer if you have one-if not don't worry, it's a great work out for the upper arms.

Sieve the cocoa powder and flour into the eggs and sugar mix and fold into the mixture taking care not to beat any of the air out.

Line a large oven proof tray -I used my roasting tin- with grease-proof paper.

Pour the mixture into the tin and spread into the corners.

Cook in a pre-heated oven at 200 for 8-10 minutes until the mix is shrinking away from the sides.

See video for how to roll the log while still warm

For the chocolate ganache:

200ml double cream

200g plain chocolate

Melt the chocolate and cream together in a pan on a low/ medium heat until combined.

Refrigerate until set.

Spread some of the chocolate mixture onto the sponge and if you like 150ml whipped cream on top. I added some preserved cherries to make a black forest log this year.

Roll back up again and cut a third of the cake at an angle and stand next to the rest of the log

Place the remainder of the chocolate into a piping bag, with a star nozzle, or spread it on and make your own log design, you can't go wrong.

All that's left to do is get the kettle on and enjoy a slice.

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